Man Utd v Tottenham LIVE: Romelu Lukaku will look to find the net at Old Trafford

But without the England striker, who has blasted 13 goals in 12 games, Spurs were seriously hamstrung with hot-shot Kane the missing link between victory and defeat.

Manchester United cashed in on the England international's notable absence with substitute Anthony Martial hitting the winner, which means Jose Mourinho’s men have won their last five Premier League home games without conceding a goal.

Ironically, there were muffled boos around Old Trafford when Mourinho took off Marcus Rashford in his last game as a teenager before introducing the match-winner.

And the United boss was obviously puzzled by the reaction of fans he called “Red Devils” and said: “I really don’t understand some reactions.

“I liked the performance. I was so disappointed at Huddersfield because it looks like in that match we didn’t know the responsibility, we didn’t know the ambition, we didn’t know that every point is a precious point.

“Today if we drew the match or even if in the last minute we concede a goal and we lose 1-0, I wouldn’t be against the players because I felt from minute one every ball was like the last ball of their careers.

The spotlight was also on Mauricio Pochettino who knew the Kane question would crop up but, as ever, remained as diplomatic as possible.

He said: “If Dele Alli had scored before they did, nobody would be asking me questions about Harry Kane. We are always going to miss our main striker and he is one of the best strikers in the game.

“But there is no excuse. You must adapt when one player is not fit to play. We are growing up in the last few seasons. The potential is there. It was a very competitive game but we made a mistake.

“If Dele Alli had scored now I’m sure we’d be talking in a different way. But that is the result.

“I think it was an even game, it was a shame to lose. It was a tough game and I think we deserved more.”

It was always going to be a giants’ clash to get you shuffling to the edge of your seat. And in that respect it didn’t disappoint, although sheer class and brilliance were in short supply.

Goal chances were kept to a minimum, too, in the opening stages of combat but the action was played out at breakneck speed.

Tottenham were the first on fire. The masters of speed. Passing at full pelt which stretched Manchester United’s three-man rear-guard as Pochettino’s power houses piled on the pressure.

United weren’t as fast and furious although Old Trafford rose to what they thought could be a 12th minute opener when Rashford let fly with a 30-yard free kick.

His shot dipped viciously before keeper Hugo Lloris scrambled a save at the foot of his post.

Moussa Sissoko tried from distance, too, but his effort was driven straight at David De Gea before the United keeper held his breath about gifting Tottenham a 28th-minute goal.

There was no danger when the Spaniard came out to collect only to clash with solid defender Phil Jones and spill the ball into Sissoko’s path. But the Spurs man ballooned hopelessly into the terraces.

The high pace was relentless with tackles and challenges flying in from every angle to keep referee Jon Moss on his toes with a lecture for Alli and Ashley Young for their part in a handbags scuffle.

It was just as frenzied in the opposing crowds with Tottenham fans taunting United supporters over their failure to pump up the volume. The Red section returned a dig that they’d never seen the Londoners win the league. Ouch.

Tottenham are desperate to rectify that omission and Alli thought he’d grabbed another goal towards that quest when he hooked in a snap-shot pulled out of thin air by De Gea.

Spurs definitely edged the first 45 minutes but United came screaming out of the blocks on the restart with a heart-stopping moment for Lloris.

The Tottenham No.1 made a mess of a Henrikh Mkhitaryan shot and as the ball spun loose in the box, Ben Davies popped up to clear the danger.

It signalled a period of intensity from United but just when they had control back came Spurs with Christian Eriksen dinking in a fabulous ball over the top only for Alli to unbelievably flick wide of an open goal.

Then 60 seconds later, in the 79th minute, substitute Jesse Lingard delivered from the right and Romelu Lukaku rose to power a header onto the foot of the post.

Two minutes later United were ahead. De Gea’s long ball upfield was headed on by Lukaku and Martial finished clinically past Lloris to leave relieved Mourinho clapping furiously on the side-lines.

Lingard could have put the result beyond all doubt in the dying seconds when he raced clear only to blaze over, this time to Mourinho’s obvious frustration.